Mayor John Laesch picked former Roselle Chief Mark Bozik to lead Aurora’s fire department as the city navigates budget cuts and a big headquarters project. Council confirmation is set for Tuesday.

An early‑morning shooting near River Street left a man critically injured; Aurora police say the investigation is active and there is no ongoing threat.

Two Orland Park officers were treated for non‑life‑threatening injuries after a domestic disturbance; police arrested 26‑year‑old Daniel Schmidt and charged him with aggravated battery and resisting arrest.

Bradford pear blossoms are back across Illinois — but the trees are being phased out under the state’s Exotic Weeds Act, with a sales ban set for Jan. 1, 2028.

Trader Joe's will open two Chicago‑area stores: a 'Coming Soon' site in Oswego and a Willowbrook Bowl redevelopment. Opening dates are pending.

A Lincoln Elementary paraprofessional was arrested after prosecutors say she threw a juice box at an 8‑year‑old student with autism; the district has reported the incident to child‑welfare authorities.

RJW Logistics has leased a roughly 1.2 million‑square‑foot warehouse at Karis Park West in Montgomery, extending its rapid Chicago‑area expansion into the Fox Valley suburbs.

Chicago-based Adams Street closed a $7.5B third private‑credit fund, boosting its middle‑market lending capacity as large managers continue to raise big credit pools.

Fathom, from Dorothy owners Whitney LaMora and Zoe Schor, opened last Thursday in Lakeview with a nautical, queer-forward cocktail room and a restored photo booth.

Culebra, a Puerto Rican‑ and Caribbean‑themed speakeasy, opens Tuesday beneath Golden Teardrops in Logan Square with cocktails and a small menu prepared in Lonesome Rose’s kitchen.

Residents at Lake Meadows say delayed transformer upgrades have left thousands without reliable air conditioning and are calling on ComEd to finish work and provide interim power.

Premium suites, private decks and sold‑out hospitality are turning the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah into Chicago’s corporate networking week.

A Chicago judge kept core hostile‑work‑environment and retaliation claims alive in a suit by two former McDonald’s executives, sending a narrowed case toward a September 2026 jury.